fresh ideas




last week larry decided to give up his car for a week. and so i did too. we have walked and biked everywhere. you see so much more when you are out of the car, houses and gardens i've never even noticed.  work is only a mile away for me and larry works out of our home but he is biking 14 miles to the gym and back each morning which i think is nuts but he thinks it's great. we start week 2 today.

and



jule lorusso and her husband matt will be donating over $2000 to the japan relief fund.  isn't that exciting?  thank you to everyone who participated in their incredibly kind offer.  she told me more readers of this blog ordered jewelry than any other.  you guys are so awesome. 

and

today i will be starting my third week of sofa to 5k running program.  i first heard about it from paula.  it's officially called couch to 5k but i prefer the term sofa.  read all about it here and join me, summer is coming you know.  how awesome would it be to say...yeah, i run 3 miles each morning.  and how good would that feel?  yesterday was the first day i saw any progress and now i'm so excited i can hardly sit still.


and


also, i've been reading the blog zero waste.  check it out here.  at first i thought this was something i would not be able to do, but i've reconsidered and am making every attempt to cut down on our waste.  instead of thinking recycle we are now first thinking refuse.  walking through the market with thoughts on packaging is an eye opener.  we are being less lazy about composting.  check out this list of 


and





i fell in love with this frosting method last week.  i found it on the lovely blog called yummy mummy.  you can frost an entire cake like this.  pop over and just take a look, marina's looks 100x better, such a fresh idea and so gorgeous and easy.  you'll never frost a cake any other way.  my frosting was not very stiff and i still love the way they came out. 






do you have any fresh ideas for living this spring?


xo
janet

43 comments

  1. How freakin' cute is your bike with a basket of roses? I'd love a photo of you in flowered chiffon dress and sun hat riding down the street.

    I've been thinking about walking to or from work a few days a week, taking my camera, and shooting a few of the sites to share on the blog. I was going to call it Walking Wednesdays.

    I find the Zero Waste thing very admirable. Daryl from Vermont Cottage has been trying to achieve it. I don't know that it's possible but I think it's important to consider.

    Happy Monday. xo s.

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  2. You are awesome. I REALLY admire your lifestyle and how you always kick it up a notch.

    I'm going to check out the composting/refuse site...I thought I was the ultimate recycler but it's amazing to find out how much more we can really do...

    I'm gardening today! talk to you in a little bit ~

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  3. I am doing the Couch to 5K program as well, a second time around. I loved it just after my son was born, and even though I can do 5K now, the program gives me little goals and something to work toward. Good luck. I admire your non-car status too!

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  4. wow!! you are amazing Janet, running 5k daily and all the other projects you are doing!!!! How I wish you could live near so I would be so inspired by you and running together would be great, though my ankels are injured I will try it anyways!!!!
    hugs

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  5. oops!!! forgot to mention how BEAUTIFUL the bike with your garden roses looks!!! LOVELY!!!!

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  6. I added jogging to my daily walk routine over the weekend. I think I was motivated by admitting my legs needed a little work! I can't give up my car for a week, but I do love riding my bike with a basket. I just love it. As always, your roses are unbelievable. Have a beautiful day.

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  7. Janet, have I mentioned how awesome your blog is? Running and frosting in the same post. It doesn't get any better than this. I'm not a runner, but am determined to shed some inches through better eating after seeing Kate [Middleton] and her sister Pippa during the Royal Wedding coverage on Friday.

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  8. I would love to see passing me on the road with the basked full of roses.

    Welcome to week 3! A nasty ischalgia threw me back to week 0, I have to pause. The physiotherapist thinks I need to work more on my abdominal muscles. :(
    Thank you for the credit, I am not sure if I deserve it though.
    Running makes happy, did you notice yet? Since you seem to be happy, you might become even happier. :-)

    The zero waste-people sometimes irritate me, when those people who focus on zero waste, still use their car every time they leave their house.

    There used to be huge composting bins in the streets of Vienna but the waste turned out way too liquid, was no success. Really liquid ... yucks.

    PS: It kind of started off a kind of project333 which follows your "no shopping"-project: I won't buy any new clothes this summer. Last week a man from the local press asked if he could take a photo of me on the bike, they needed a "testimonial" to picture initiatives for safer traffic routes in the city. When I saw the photo a few days later I realized: everything I wore that day was 10 years old or even older. Including the Bally-Sneakers. That day I wore the outfit on my way to a client's meeting, feeling pretty.

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  9. I love love LOVE the photo of the bike and roses! It finally feels like spring here in Maine and I spent a lot of the weekend outdoors. Daffodils are at their peak. I've also resumed walking to work and it feels wonderful!

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  10. I'm making my way towards a bicycle, soon. I would like to do all my errands on a bike. I will need baskets, certainly, although I expect they will be full of vegetables, tea, meat, and milk, instead of your absolutely beautiful roses. You're inspirational, you know that? And I often resist inspiration:).

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  11. Not feeling up to par today so i will admire the basket full of roses and read the others when I can get excited about doing more.

    Today I'm just happy to be doing:)

    xo jane

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  12. That bike photo needs to be made into greeting cards. It is fabuous. Perhaps your new header?

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  13. I love to walk and bike everywhere. I gave up my own car about 8 years ago and I haven't missed it, even though MrBP is often out of town on business with the family vehicle. I take it out once a week to go to the grocery store: those Rascals they have huge appetites!
    I am still finding it hard to think Spring as we've been having terrible awful weather. Looking forward to cleaning up the garden and planting my vegetables.
    Have a wonderful Monday.

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  14. steve - i'll get right on that photo challenge and do the wed thing. that would be great.

    sarah - be quiet. you inspire me.

    mama p - that gives me hope that i can do it.

    maria cecilia - yes, me too re living next to ea other. we'd have to open a flower shop.

    kathy - thank you and the sofa to 5k will be easy if you already walk and jog some.

    deborah - i know, running and frosting. i don't think the 2 go together but oh well. you are right, they both looked amazing.

    paula - composting is hard to get just right and it can me messy if wrong. thanks for the inspiration and you are right about the endorphins!

    seebluelee - walking to work is so refreshing don't you think?

    julie - yes, i agree it's a great title.

    lisa - love your comment. i'd love to see you on a bike too, with lots of baskets.

    jane - feel better soon.

    marina - nowhere near what yours look like.

    dianne - thanks. it is rather colorful.

    dani - i'm impressed you've been w/o car for this long. how great. we figure we will have to prob drive at least once every couple of weeks. i'll def report on it.

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  15. That bike is to die for! I'm going to check out the challenge and just may try it for myself!

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  16. You are so lucky to be able to cycle to work.
    Am very chuffed that you've discovered the Zero Waste Home as you and Bea are my two most inspirational bloggers.

    Jo in London

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  17. What a great idea! I wish we had sidewalks in my town. Zero waste is a great idea! Wow, Larry's going to be in great shape for the beach! Oh, and the cupcake well, it looks delicious! I'll be checking out that site!

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  18. ginger - it is cute and do it!

    jo - i'm humbled that you even put me in her category.

    ocean breezes - yes, he is already. i need to catch up to him, which i will never be able to do btw.

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  19. Hi Janet,

    Oh your bike looks charming with the roses...

    and the cupcake icing swirled like that looks like it was made by a professional baker...

    you are a woman of many talents

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  20. Not sure I could do without my car even though I don't like to drive and never missed a car when I lived in NYC...But here on the farm a car is necessary to get anywhere...then I realized I haven't even been in my car for over a week!

    www.ajbarnesonline.blogspot.com

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  21. Janet- I need to check out this programme ... I do try and walk 3 K (at a brisk pace) each day but I would love to be able to run. I just hate running though and wish I could find it easy. Love the frosting on the little cupcake. (Now that is why despite my walking daily I never seem to get rid of the extra 7lbs that has crept on since last December!!) XXX

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  22. Go sister go~
    A new fresh idea for spring? There's a book waiting inside of you, dear one.
    -Suzanne in Illinois

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  23. Love these ideas--I even clicked the links to couch to race and zero waste, which is saying a lot. Thanks for visiting my blog today, and for your comment!

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  24. I will definitely check out all those sites, thanks for the info. Is that your red house in the top pic with the bike? It looks similar to my red house! Have a great week, Marcia

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  25. Adore your bike with the basket of roses...so cute!! Good job with the no car status ~

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  26. J'adore the first picture! It is definitely frame"able" art. And your roses make me swoon every.single.time. I stop by.

    I try to walk everywhere I can too in our little town. I can do quite a few errands this way and I absolutely love riding my bike places too (I also have a basket on the front--helps out a lot for carrying things home).

    The Zero Waste blog is incredibly inspirational (I have her on my blog roll). I have printed off some of her articles, especially about composting. I never knew so many things could be composted.

    Loved this post!! xxBliss

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  27. My fresh ideas are all about Budgeting. If I get the urge to shop online I'm going to purchase stocks not frocks. So much more sensible. And better returns. I'm going to be Shopping my Wardrobe (you'd say Closet) and cooking direct from my overstuffed pantry.

    I also want to become less critical and more positive. I'm sort of positive already but I feel there is lots of room fro improvement.

    Did you Royal Wedding it Up?

    I just ate some raspberry fool. Do you have that over there? It's fruit, chantilly cream and toasted almonds.

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  28. Janet,

    This entire post is so fun and motivating too! I love the idea of biking everywhere, but honestly i cannot see myself riding my bike through Laguna to my Bar Method workout in Newport Coast. I would be exhausted by the time I arrived...I can't imagine that Larry rides 14 miles (my trip is only 10.5) to the gym. In my opinion he's already had his workout by the time he arrives.

    Your bike is so darling, I can hardly stand it. Yes, I would love to say, "oh yea I run three miles every morning"...but I just hate running. I walk and walk fast, but still...it's not running.

    And...I love your new way to decorate cupcakes...I just checked it out and can't imagine doing it any other way.

    xo annie

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  29. leslie - thank you

    randy - i'm shocked at how dependent we've become on our cars. i hope this lasts.

    sarah - i am a v fast walker also. but running has been a lot harder to get used to than i imagined. but it does feel good.

    suzanne - thank you.

    heather - hi!

    marcia - yep that's my house. still red.

    design chic - thanks.

    bliss - thanks, the roses blow me away too. and isn't zero waste blog fascinating?

    ff - i'm trying to be more positive too. i did not royal wedding it up, sorry. i have had raspberry fool though.

    annie - yes larry is craaazy! i kinda like running. it reminds me of being a kid. and her cake is amazing isn't it.

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  30. I'm getting so sick and tired of seeing your darn roses! (not)

    You're getting too hard to keep up with-all that running and composting.

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  31. Yay Janet! Keep up the good work. I am not a runner, but a brisk walker. I started composting this year. Thanks for the list! And, will you give us your frosting recipe? I need a good vegan frosting. Yours looks so fluffy!

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  32. Oh boy I cannot run, I hate it do much, I've tried to go out with hubs but I feel as if I'm going to die! I workout 6 days a week but I always feel that my legs are going to pack in and that I'll throw up my lungs.
    Love the bike!

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  33. I love your photo of the bike with roses. You could sell that!!
    I love the cupcake design and will give it try. I love how it looks on a whole cake too!

    You're inspiring me to get my compost bucket back out and give it another try.

    Julie

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  34. Reminds me of the phrase...."a life well-lived."

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  35. Your rosey bicycle is so cute!
    Yes, lots of fun this spring. I have planted a veggie garden and I am in the midst of renovating part of our house to add a vacation rental suite. It is so much fun!

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  36. My fresh ideas for Autumn are eating more good, real food and (almost) zero tolerance on crap food, cleaning up my house, decluttering, being more positive and reading all the books I own. I love walking places others might drive to as well. Your bike is so pretty.

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  37. I love your bike! I hope to be back on mine soon. Congrats on the sofa to 5K program! The cupcake is adorable!

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  38. May I ask you what kind of bike you have? I am on the hunt for a cute, vintagey looking bike that is light and good for running around town on. Your bike looks like it would fit the bill! Many thanks...

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  39. deb - yeah me too.

    emily - thanks and it's the lemon frosting i used on the lemon cupcakes a few posts earlier.

    tabitha - you're funny. i'm normally a hate running person too but lately it's been kinda fun.

    julie - looking forward to my bracelets!

    louise - thank you~

    pink rose cottage - we still don't have a proper veggie patch yet. soon though.

    fiona - thanks and i love your fresh ideas and want to read all the books i own too. good one.

    paige - thanks!

    jennifer - it's a jc penney bike. we think late 60's or early 70's. it's a good around town flat street kind of bike as it only has 3 gears. i have to walk it up hills.

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  40. I agree with others that I love the mix of things you post about! Health, zero waste, and cake decorating in one post! I too have started reading zero waste, and while I have a long way to go, it's all about trying, right? As for biking, well - it was 45 degrees here in Michigan yesterday. When I convince my husband to move to California with me, we can ditch the car.

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  41. I think I am kind of with you on the c25k – after having pains in my knee which was afterwards diagnosed as “probably a bursitis” I have to restart slowly. Try to post my runs of the week again on my blog on Sundays.

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kindness is never out of style.

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